238. Poisonous Fruit 2

“It’s the enemy!”

With the woman’s piercing scream, Geum Gang-seop involuntarily hit the deck. The heat passed over his back and head like a flash.

Bang!

The Esper’s attack collided with the capsule, and there was a sound of something exploding. Metal fragments flew in all directions, and the special operations unit screamed for them to capture the suddenly-appearing Cheon Geon-young. The sound of guns firing simultaneously was occasionally mixed with screams. The sound of feet getting into formation was noisy.

“Suppress with water!”

Someone shouted. Water sloshed and gathered in the air, then was shot like a cannon at one spot. Then, there was a sound of a living creature's flesh being cooked, and a hazy cloud of dust rose as if to bury the people in the clearing. The cloud of dust mixed with steam settled thickly in all directions.

“To the right!”

An agent who had been shouting a few steps away screamed his last cry the next moment. As a result, one of his arms fell with a plop right in front of Geum Gang-seop, who was lying on the ground. He began to crawl aimlessly to escape the pandemonium. He couldn't raise his head recklessly because the Espers’ attacks were constantly tearing through the air.

The sound of gunfire, groans of pain, and the squeaking noise from deep inside the module floating on the sea grew louder and louder.

Geum Gang-seop, who was crawling through the steam and dust clouds, was soon stopped by a black boot. He raised his head, which was soaked in cold sweat, and looked up at the owner of the shoe. Yoon Tae-ha, who had been drooping and tied to the tree a moment ago, was blocking his way. She had easily escaped by taking advantage of the distraction of the Esper who had been tying her up with Cheon Geon-young’s attack.

A terrified Geum Gang-seop grabbed the toe of her shoe without realizing it. He was in a state where rational judgment was impossible, and Yoon Tae-ha understood his state at a glance.

“Go and kill him! Just suppress him, you can kill him!”

At that moment, a massive flame rose from behind him, clearing the dust cloud. Unable to hold back and looking back, Geum Gang-seop witnessed the sight of the agents he had trusted being hit in the chest with crimson flames and falling backward, and he made a choking sound. Yoon Tae-ha used her psychokinesis to push away the remnants of the explosion flying toward her and Geum Gang-seop. Geum Gang-seop, who had experienced a shocking loss of power, pleaded with her.

“I’ll give you what you want. Just kill that…”

“Anything?”

At that moment, an Esper whose body had tripled in size broke a nearby tree like a cane and rushed at Cheon Geon-young from behind. Cheon Geon-young was focused on breaking through the protective shield of the Esper who was using water. Sensing the danger, Yoon Tae-ha lifted the hulking man with her psychokinesis and then threw him out of the module as if he were a slingshot. A while later, there was a splash sound. Everything happened while Yoon Tae-ha was standing in her place.

As if to respond to her help, Cheon Geon-young melted a metal fragment the size of a forearm that an enemy had shot at her in mid-air. He then shot a bullet into the leg of an enemy who was about to pull out a weapon from his body again.

Thinking that Geum Gang-seop would get caught in the fight and die before she could interrogate him, Yoon Tae-ha grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to a safe place. She didn't use teleportation to maximize his fear. He had to see and hear the people who had been protecting him die. Geum Gang-seop tried to escape by throwing off his jacket to get out of her grip, but he was caught again in three seconds.

“Let go!”

Yoon Tae-ha, who had grabbed him with her psychokinesis, threw Geum Gang-seop into the forest, which was relatively safe from the flames. The man, who hadn't learned even basic breakfalls, rolled miserably on the dirt ground. In the meantime, Yoon Tae-ha kicked the handgun that had fallen on the ground out of sight.

“Ugh!”

Geum Gang-seop, as if he had injured a muscle, groaned while holding his arm, then became enraged and screamed at Yoon Tae-ha. He finally realized that there was no chip in the woman's body.

“When did you remove the chip? Who persuaded you? Lee Hae-kyung? Did that bastard promise you freedom if you betrayed me?”

But he still hadn't realized that Yoon Tae-ha was the agent who had returned alive from Lethe. He considered the possibility that the Chimera had removed the chip and betrayed him to be greater than the possibility that Yoon Tae-ha, a human, had returned disguised as the Chimera.

In the hypothesis he chose, one could read the way of life that Geum Gang-seop had adhered to until now. He was a man who was more accustomed to betrayal than trust. Yoon Tae-ha did not want to live like him, even if she had to go through greater hardships.

“Lee Hae-kyung would never have kept a duplicate of Yoon Tae-ha alive. You’re under a serious delusion. Have you even imagined who the rats on the main island are right now?”

Behind his anger, there was a fear that the tables might turn. Yoon Tae-ha raised her eyebrows as if to tell him to go on.

“The Yoon Tae-ha that they lost, born from a human womb!”

“That girl has a tenacious life force.”

Geum Gang-seop lowered his voice as if he were sharing a secret.

“While you’re dealing with the special operations unit here, the real one went into the main island under Seo Do-jin’s ironclad escort. Lee Hae-kyung has no intention of entrusting a dangerous mission to the real one. If Cheon Geon-young finds out that she has returned alive, what will happen next? How likely do you think it is that he will choose you, who was born in a culture medium?”

“I'd say it's nonexistent.”

“Exactly! Now you’re finally thinking straight.”

Yoon Tae-ha wanted to tell him how ridiculous his delusion was but held back. It seemed better to act as the Chimera for a few more minutes to get information. The fact that Kal's body also had a weakness implanted was important information that even Gwon Hyuk hadn't found out.

“Lee Hae-kyung didn’t tell me anything about the real one being alive.”

“Of course not. He hid it from you because he was afraid you would harm her.”

Yoon Tae-ha pretended to be in deep thought.

“Teleport me to module A-11. From now on, I will guarantee your safety. We’ll make a new contract, as a free person to a free person.”

“What’s in there?”

“A-11 can navigate without being controlled by the center.”

“A module isn't a boat. It's difficult to make a long-term voyage. The main island is one thing, but a module is another.”

“The blueprint for module A-11 in the central system is a fake. It's fine for a long voyage.”

“What about food and weapons?”

“They are sufficient.”

The ominous mechanical sound that had started from the ground was much louder than before. Conversely, the screams from the place where the special operations unit and Cheon Geon-young were fighting gradually subsided.

“Cheon Geon-young won't let me live. I’m the only one who can protect you here.”

“Do you have a bad relationship with that family? I know your evil deeds aren’t limited to one or two things.”

“…”

“You suddenly shut up. That usually means you have something to hide.”

“It’s nothing to do with you.”

Yoon Tae-ha lifted Geum Gang-seop into the air with her psychokinesis. He squirmed his body as he was lifted up, and was at a loss with fear and terror.

“Where is the key?”

“You fool! You didn’t even hand over the key to me!”

“Not Noah Blackwood’s key. The last key you have. Hand it over. Then I'll believe that you'll go all the way with me and let you out of here. For your information, I can push you quite far up into the sky.”

She pushed him up into the sky rapidly.

“Put me down! Right now!”

“Hand over the key. Then I’ll safely deliver you to module A-11. Anyway, you’re going all the way with me, so can’t you entrust me with just that one key?”

“I can't take it out by myself!”

When he reached a height similar to the top of the trees, he shouted with cold sweat running down his face.

“The key is inside my body. I have to borrow the power of the Esper that Cheon Geon-young shot to get it out!”

Finding a way to get the key, Yoon Tae-ha immediately put the ear piece in her ear and contacted Cheon Geon-young. The Esper that Geum Gang-seop had pointed out seemed to be alive, thankfully. A short time later, Cheon Geon-young came into the forest, dragging the Esper with the injured leg.

The Esper with the leg injury gritted his teeth as he looked at the Chancellor floating pathetically in the air. When Yoon Tae-ha slowly released her psychokinesis, Geum Gang-seop rolled on the ground again like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Take the key out of the Chancellor’s body.”

Cheon Geon-young commanded in a stern voice. The Esper, who had been radiating a murderous aura toward the Chancellor, immediately obeyed his words. The Esper, who crawled in front of Geum Gang-seop as if he were a supplicant, raised his hand.

“You have to give me an anesthetic.”

There was no one there who would listen to Geum Gang-seop’s absurd request. The Esper grabbed Geum Gang-seop’s thigh tightly and, without any warning, pulled the key out of his flesh. Geum Gang-seop screamed in pain, and the Esper, having done his job, lay on his back on the ground as if his energy had been completely depleted.

Blood was gushing from Geum Gang-seop’s thigh because of the key that had pierced through his skin. While he was losing his mind from the pain, Yoon Tae-ha, who had taken the key with her psychokinesis, placed it in Cheon Geon-young's hand.

“You take it.”

He silently looked down at the key, which was soaked in blood. Cheon Geon-young looked as calm as a person who couldn’t feel emotions, but Yoon Tae-ha noticed that he was barely holding back a dark impulse.

“We have to find a way to kill the snake.”

After looking into Yoon Tae-ha’s eyes for a few seconds, he eventually called for Changcheon’s helicopter via communication. This meant that he would not kill Geum Gang-seop here, at least.

Before the helicopter arrived, Yoon Tae-ha asked Cheon Geon-young why he had started the attack a little earlier than the promised time. He only answered that he had heard the sounds from outside in the capsule, and then hesitated before carefully cupping her still-swollen cheek. It was his left hand, not his right hand, which he used to handle a gun. Yoon Tae-ha buried her cheek in his rough palm as if it were a soft cotton blanket.

Meanwhile, Geum Gang-seop, who had barely come out of the pain rising from his thigh, made a stupid expression as if he couldn't believe the sight he was seeing.

“What are you doing?”

For the man who still hadn't realized his mistake, Yoon Tae-ha took out the ring and put it on her finger.

“Shadow?”

Geum Gang-seop, who discovered the ring, muttered in a hollow voice.

“I’m glad you recognized it. I would have been sad if you hadn’t.”

“Yoon Tae-ha’s ring never came back, so how could you have it?”

Geum Gang-seop’s body was shaking so violently that it was as if he alone was facing a natural disaster, an earthquake. Soon, he suddenly realized the truth and made a hoarse sound.

“You’re the real one?”

As the sound of the propeller got closer and closer, Cheon Geon-young grabbed Geum Gang-seop by the neck and pulled him up. He silently dragged Geum Gang-seop to the clearing from earlier, which was a good place for a helicopter to land.

Two helicopters had landed in the clearing.